


Hark! The Eldredge Angels Sing!

by Neils_Pen_To_Paper



Category: Half-Life, half-life vr ai
Genre: (benrey is friends with EVERYONE), (briefly mentioned and not very explicit), (so like. normal benrey lol), Alternate universe - role swap, Body Horror, Eldritch Benrey (Half-Life), Gen, Multi-POV, Role Swap, Temporary Character Death, angel!gordon freeman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29224383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neils_Pen_To_Paper/pseuds/Neils_Pen_To_Paper
Summary: A silly role-swap I had in my head.Gman -> Tommy, Tommy -> GmanBenrey -> Gorden, Gorden -> BenreyCoomer -> F0RZEN, F0rzen -> CoomerBubby -> Sunkist, Sunkist -> BubbyDarnold is the same but he comes with and is at the startThey all act the same but their roles of protagonist/antagonist is swapped!
Relationships: Benrey & Forzen (Half-Life), Benrey & Sunkist (Half-Life), Benrey & The G-Man (Half-Life), Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Hark! The Eldredge Angels Sing!

_ The halls of Black Mesa were dim, the buzz of the overhead fluorescent lights the only thing to be heard, besides the quick step, step, step, step of a thing making their way through the halls. The panting betrayed the body's attempt at silence, as it wormed its way through a doorway made specifically for it. There was a brief pause, silence, before the wet sounds of a dog licking someone rang out. The person being smothered in a dog's loving 'good morning' spoke up.  _

"I-I'm up! I'm up, Sunkist!"  _ The person stood and stretched, earning a soft bark from the aforementioned dog.  _ "I don't see why I'm gettin' woken up this early- 's a weekend, doc."  _ They yawned, walking over to the room's lightswitch and flicking it on.  _

Benrey glanced over to the dog scientist, who was fully decked out in their lab gear, booties and goggles and all. They wagged their tail, full body shaking as they licked the mysterious security guard's hand, making them smile. 

Dr. Sunkist barked, a beat passing before a voice translated, "Surprise testing! A new sample came in last night and we're going to be putting it in the reactor!" Benrey sighed, stretching their neck with a claw and rolled their eyes. 

"Ugh, cringe testing for the fail reactor. Why'd ya wake me up? 'M no science man. Not even a man, heh." They walked to a dresser, grabbing overly formal clothes and a bulletproof vest. 

"You're a guard! You protect the chamber!" The dog-tor barked, sitting down but still wagging her tail excitedly. "And we have a new scientist! I've got a… feeling about them." Benrey nodded at his words, slipping out of their playstation themed pajamas and into their guardian get-up. They quickly grabbed the company ID, slipping it into their badge on their chest, showing it off with pride. They didn't do anything else for freshening up, except for lazily clawing out tangles in their short mane of hair. "That all?" Benrey glanced over to Sunkist, PhD. who was giving them a grossed out look. 

"Huh, wuh? Whattya mean?"

"You're not going to shower? Or brush your-"

"Bro chill, 'm not- I don't need to. Shapeshifting's got me covered." They gave a lackluster shrug before heading out of the room, turning the lights out. Sunkist followed, pushing through the doggy door that was installed in every Black Mesa door.

"That's gross, but I can't say much. I'm a dog after all!" The two shared a quiet laugh as they walked, making sure to keep quiet. The Black Mesa facility had dormitories where employees would sleep, and seeing as they were in the middle of a fucking desert, no one went home while research was going on. Benrey didn't have a proper home, seeing as they were stuck Black Mesa, a research project set loose. Even if they could leave, they had everything they could've wanted here in Black Mesa, including friends.

Benrey flung open the door to the lab where Dr. Sunkist worked. A broad shouldered man in a lab coat was already in there, scribbling something down on a whiteboard. The guy turned, scarred face turning to a frown upon seeing the blue blue guard. "Oh it's you. Good morning Benrey." Dr. Forzen said, turning back to the board. 

"G'mornin', grumpy. Little baby man still salty over being owned in Mario Party 8?" They walked over to him, sitting rather politely on a nearby table. The doctor groaned, grip tightening on his marker. 

"You cheated and you know that!" He snapped, pointing at the bastard, who smugly smiled. 

"Now guys, let's not fight! We've got a big day ahead!" Sunkist cut in with a worried bark. The two rivals could get messy in a minute, and they didn't need that this early! Dr. Forzen stepped back, sighing and running his free hand through his shaggy brown hair. 

"You're right, Doc. Where's the new guy? He's supposed t' be here for briefing." At that, the doorway was filled with a figure of a man. He was clad in the HEV Suit, helmet nowhere to be seen. Benrey shifted in their seat as the person's abnormally large and brown eyes bored into them with a hostility they'd never felt before. They couldn't bring themself to look at the man as he walked in, a crowbar strangely in hand. 

"You were asking?" He said, smiling at Dr. Forzen. He nodded, taking a half step back. 

"Yeeeeeah. You're the new guy?" He looked to Dr. Sunkist, who looked confused and a little suspicious. 

"I thought the new guy was a woman, Dr. Muhn Dahne?" The strange man shook his head, just barely hiding a grin. 

"No. I'm Dr. Gordon Freeman." He grinned and bowed. Benrey frowned. Gordon had way too many teeth, they noticed, and his mouth was too wide.

“Well… you’re not what we expected, but you’ll do.” Sunksit said, nodding. “You’re to push the sample  ‘xen crystal’ into the reactor core, and we will go from there. Make sure to not cause a  Resonance Cascade !” She said, getting a nod from Gordon. Benrey started spacing out as Sunkist described what a Resonance Cascade was. They decided to focus on studying the profile of Gordon, how his eyes seemingly never blinked, how his hair moved without his body moving, the obvious sight of feathers where his ears should be- Benrey felt a sneaking suspicion about the new scientist, but couldn't shake the admiration of his charming features. They had to admit, Gordon was. Kinda hot. He was tall, looked strong, held himself like a seasoned warrior. So then why was this dude a man of science? 

“... Alright. When will the test begin?” He asked, breaking Benrey from their trance. 

“Twenty minutes. We’ve got to wait for the Lambda team to arrive and get set up.” Dr. Frozen said, turning back to the white board. Gordon nodded, turned, and left the room. Benrey frowned and got up, following behind the strange man.

The break room was almost empty, a single man sat at the table, sipping a soda rather disheartedly. Gordon stepped in, wide and dark eyes landing on him. The well-dressed man looked back at him, dull blue eyes glaring at deep brown ones.

**“Can I… hhhhelp… you..?”** The man asked, just as Benrey slipped in. 

“No, no. Just looking around- I-I am  _ new _ , you see.” He said that like he was trying to convince himself. Benrey looked to the fancy man as they slipped past Gordon, reaching into the communal fridge and grabbing a Mountain Dew. 

**“I sssssee… Well, I’m… G-mmman…”** He muttered, watching as Gordon took a seat adjacent to him. 

“Freeman. Gordon Freeman.” He stuck out a hand, smiling that damned smile. Benrey felt their back crawl with a mix of horror and fascination; a feeling they weren’t used to. G-man shivered a bit, but took his hand politely. 

**“Nicee… to meet you.”** They shook hands, a small sizzling sound coming from their intertwined hands. Gordon took back his hand as G-man quickly pulled his back, looking at the palm.  **“Ow-”**

“Oh, sorry,” he said with a laugh, “the gloves don’t really help with my body heat, and I’m always a little warm.” He said, putting a hand to the table. It started to melt around his fingers, making G-man nervously frown and squirm. Gordon grinned and stood, nodding to him. “... Well, I hope to see you after the test! G’bye.” He walked out, leaving G-man and Benrey alone. 

**“... Ar..en’t you going to… go affffter him?”** G-man asked, standing. 

“Nah, man. You’re uh… Pretty shaken up about that, huh?” Benrey cracked open the can and took a drink, watching as G-man rubbed his arm with his uninjured hand. “Your hand good, bro? Looks a bit. Shit.”

**“Uhm… Sss...sort of.”** He held it out, letting Benrey gently take it. It was a bit red, and felt way too hot. Benrey frowned, opening his mouth and letting out a harmonious song, balls of light pouring from his lips. They started out white, turning to an icy blue as they wrapped around G-man’s hand. G-man’s face lit up, muttering  **_“White to ice means you’re gonna feel nice.”_ ** Benrey smiled a little and G-man cleared his throat,  **“I-I mean… Tttt...thank you…”**

“‘Course man. No… no man left b’hind, y’know. Ohana and all that.” Benrey shrugged and grabbed their drink, sipping it as G-man quietly sighed. 

**“It… was...n’t life threaten..ing, Bennnnrey.”** He mumbled as he gathered his empty soda can.  **“But… thank you… nnnonethelesss…”** He crushed it with ease, tossing it precisely into the trash with a practiced throw. Benrey loudly slurpped down the rest of his soda and crushed it against their helmet, following G-man’s actions, though they missed the throw. G-man gave a small laugh as Benrey walked over to properly dispose of the can, the party of two exiting the room soon after. 

Benrey glared daggers into Gordon’s back as the mysterious newcomer talked to a horrified scientist. They didn’t catch what they were talking about, something about the test soon to be performed, as Gordon turned to face the blue security guard. 

“Oh? Oh, it's you! You’re… you’re not following me, are you?” The wide-eyed ‘scientist’ asked as Benrey stepped closer- though they were deeply horrified. 

“Huh wuh- OH Uh.” They smacked their lips in thought. “Yeah. You’re uh. Sus as hell, gotta make sure you’re not gonna. Steal shit.” Gordon laughed, a hand shooting to his bearded chin, and shook his head.

“Oh, well, be my guest! I’m just here for the test.” He started walking, Benrey at his heels like a shadow.

“Suuuure, that’s what a thief would say.” Benrey growled, watching as the too-stiff man clicked his crowbar against the wall in a rhythmic manner as they slowly meandered their way to an airlock. It was 5 minutes to testing.

“I’m not here to steal things!” Gordon said, starting to sound annoyed. He turned to Benrey, arms thrown to the side and a snarl on his lips. “Get off my case!”

“Y’huh. You definitely stole something, that’s uh. Clear to see on your dumb, cute face.” Gordon quirked an eyebrow, stepping back.

“Cute…?” Benrey stiffened, not meaning to say cute. 

“NO, I sa- I said CRINGE. Your dumb, cringe face. Bet’cha don’t even own a  PS2 .” 

“What’s a  PS2 ?" Gordon turned his head to the side, ear almost touching his shoulder. Benrey ignored the sounds of bones cracking and scoffed. 

"He doesn't even own a  PS2 , chat." They said, looking off to the side like a protagonist in a sitcom looking into the camera. 

"Who are you talking to? Nobody is- No one is there!" He gave an angry sigh. "Just leave me alone, dude." Benrey thought for a moment, humming low in their throat, before smirking. 

"Can I see your  passport ?" They watched as Gordon fumbled for words, patting his H.E.V suit as he sputtered. 

"My- my  _ passport _ _?!_ What the fuck are you  _ even _ talking about?" Two minutes. The guard nodded. 

"You know. Your company ID. Your  passport , bro. How do I know you're allowed down here with- uh- without it?" Gordon sighed. 

"I… Don't have it. Must've left it in my locker or something. Look, I've got somewhere to be."

"Mmmm that's sucks for you bro. Gonna have t- to follow you." They gave him a sharp grin, earning a scowl back. Benrey's face fell as Gordon huffed, turning and walking away. 

"Fine! Go ahead! You're gonna die if you go into the chamber with me." Benrey had to fake a cough to cover their laugh, immaturity running through them like blood. 

"It's cool I'm no- I'm not human." They saw the color drain from Freeman's face as he stepped back, but quickly he hid it with a shake of the head. He turned and made his way to the padlock's door. 

"Whatever man!" One minute. The two entered, the two scientists there getting a glance at Gordon before hurriedly moving to their stations. Benrey could almost taste their fear. 

T ime's up. The doorway opened with a hiss, revealing the chamber. Gordon turned to Benrey before entering. 

“Alright, this is as far as you can go, man! Go follow someone else, where it’s safe.” He said, gesturing to the exit. Benrey scoffed and walked backwards into the main chamber, hands behind their head. 

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, bro.” He snarked, watching as the ‘scientist’ deeply sighed and walked in after them. 

**“Gordon? Can you… hear.. me?”** G-man’s voice rang out, crunched by a microphone. 

“Yes, I can.” He said, a little exasperated. “What’s my instructions?”

“You need to turn the machine on, first.” Dr. Forzen said. Gordon turned, looking up at the ceiling of the chamber, examining the wires and metal that led to a ledge. Benrey was sitting on the railing, kicking his legs as they smiled down at him. Gordon snarled and pointed at Benrey.

“How the fuck- Why are you just sitting there!” He yelled/asked, stalking over to the ladder that Benrey didn’t use. 

“Wuh- oh. ‘M waiting for you, dummy. I’m not a uhh.” They smacked their lips as Gordon walked over, scanning the generator for the power switch. “I’m not a science boy like you. I watch over things an’ stop people without their  passports . Can I see yours?” Gordon flipped him off as he pressed the generator’s power button. 

“We’ll get it when the test is over.” He said, walking back to the ladder. Benrey sighed and lept down, landing with ease as Gordon gasped from above. “Holy shit- are- are you okay?” 

“I’m all good, not human.” Benrey shrugged as Gordon climbed down. “And I know you’re not either.” that made Gordon pause, hair fluffing up like a Studio Ghibli character. 

“I  _ am _ human, I  _ promise. _ ” He snarled, swiftly turning and poking Benrey in the chest. Gordon was a head or two taller, forcing Benrey to look up. They opened their mouth, singing a few notes of blue Sweet Voice directly into Gordon's teeth. He instantly calmed down, backing up with a puzzled expression. “What did you just do to me?” He said, bewilderment evident in his shaking voice. 

“Calm down.” They monotonically commanded.

**“Gor… don, do you see the next... sstep?”** G-man suddenly asked, microphone crackling. 

“Yeah, push the crystal into the reactor, I got it!” He said, walking over to where the Xen Crystal, the test subject, was being raised. Benrey leaned on the big laser machine and sighed. 

“Do it very carefully!” Sunkist barked.

**“Yesss.. Sslower than a-a turtle on the.. free.. way.”** G-man said, which got both non euclideans laughing.

“You got it, sir.” Gordon said after recovering.

“Yeah don’t touch that.” Benrey stood as Gordon grabbed the cart’s handles. 

“What? The cart?” He started pushing it forward. 

“Yeah, don’t touch it.” Benrey stood in front of his path, blocking him from moving the sample further.

“I- I need to! It’s part of my job!” He said.

“You’re gonna steal it, I know. That’s how you’ve been doing it, you tell people to go away and take shit.” Benrey was lying out the ass, but the sharp-toothed frown on Gordon’s face was worth it. 

“Fuck you man, I’m just a scientist!” Gordon grabbed the bottom of the cart and hefted it over his head. Scientist, yeah right. “Now. MOVE.” He snarled.

**“Gordon, what are... you doing?”** G-man was interrupted by Dr. Sunkist’s panting breath, collar delayed.

“Benrey move, please!” Benrey looked at Gordon, Gordon looking back.

“Yeah, no. Put that down please?” They asked, and Gordon shouted.

Benrey had blinked when Gordon threw the cart, jagged crystal first, into his chest. He was thrown back and into the laser, where the electrifying pain overwhelmed him swiftly, making him loose form quickly. His body turned from vaguely human into a black mass of colors and sounds and light, looking like a broken NES game. Or that one video of a frog but a computer made the visuals. If mortals were looking on, they’d be going mad and clawing at their eyes and bleeding ears, something that Benrey once cherished doing on the scientists.

He distantly heard the shouts of the scientists and Gordon before passing out, a sickly radioactive green the last thing he saw.

Gordon woke up in the chamber, eyes and ears sore, mouth tasting like… ichor. His ichor. He sat up, world dizzy as he looked over the ruined chamber. What the hell was that thing? Why did it make him feel… so lively? He shook that thought away, stumbling over to the blasted off doors of the airlock. The entry was already broken off by something with big claws, so it was easy for Gordon to squeeze through and into the ruined halls. 

“Hello? Is anyone out there?” He called out, getting the crowbar off of his hip and into his hands. He heard the distant shuffling of footsteps before he rounded a corner, seeing the mechanical shells of computers lying on the floor, blood underneath it. Something happened there. 

“Gordon!” Said a voice. He looked up, seeing a dog- Dr. Sunkist!- sitting down and panting with worry. He swiftly walked over and took a knee, looking over the doctor. 

“Oh shit, are you alright?” Sunkist nodded, placing a paw on the HEV’s shoulder. Gordon didn’t  _ need _ the shell, but a worried ‘mixologist’ forced him into it.

“I’m fine, Dr. Freeman, but are you?” He got a lick from the dog. “That was super scary, you almost touched Benrey’s true form!” Gordon paused, hands on the lab’s shoulders. 

“He’s an  angel too?” Gordon looked deeply into the perfect dog’s eyes, which furrowed and looked aside. 

“No, Dr. Freeman, he’s a  Xenry .” Sunkist said, like she expected Gordon to know what the hell that was. 

“What… is… a  Xenry ?” His grip tightened. Sunkist smiled and wagged their tail, perking up.

“A  Nihilanth ’s DNA spliced with one of our dead guards,  Barney Calhoun ! He let us use his dna for tests when he got fatally injured by a headcrab we were testing on.” Gordon sighed. Great, just great. He knew nothing and was even  _ more _ confused! 

“Alright, I’m just gonna  _ pretend _ I know what that is.” He stood as Sunkist nodded, stretching. They walked forward for a few seconds before Gordon’s brain had a thought. “... Wait, how’re you not dead?” 

“I’m an immortal, perfect dog!” They said, looking up at Gordon. “I was made here in Black Mesa for the son of the owner,  G-man . He’s got bad anxiety issues, so I help out when he needs it.” Gordon frowned. 

“Oh shit, are the others okay?” He walked faster as Sunkist galloped after him.

“Yes! They’re waiting for us in the break room!”

The break room was bloody and covered with dust. G-man frowned as Forzen pried at the soda machine’s covering, arms strong but not enough to rip off the metal door. 

“Damn it.” For kicked the machine before turning back to G-man. “Where’s Sunny? They can just melt it off.” G-man shook his head.

**“A-and what about… The so...das? They would melt… or be too… hot to drink..!”** He said, hands messing with the hem of his fancy suit, now covered in blood from his witnessing Benrey’s true form. Even if he wasn’t human, G-man wasn’t like Benrey, being an extraterrestrial like his father. Benrey was raw unfiltered energy; energy that turned the desert to glass, G-man was sure of.

Snap. Snap. G-man perked up and looked, seeing that Gordon was in front of him. 

**“Gordon Freeman, in the flesh.”** G-man said, sliding off the table as he spoke.  **“Fffinaly we can… move on from all this, hmm?”**

“Yeah, let’s leave before this place falls in on us.” Forzen said from the corner. 

“Wait, don’t you guys need, like, rations? Should we bust open this?” Gordon tapped the machines with the crowbar he had, to which G-man nodded quickly.

**“We’ll need the calories!”** He said, a tiny grin on his lips. That made Gordon smirk and giggle, before aiming a solid hit at the metallic shell. The foods and drinks spilled out, which everyone collectively agreed to shovel quickly into their gullets. 

“No- stop! What’re you doing!?!” Gordon shouted, exasperated, as the group swarmed his ankles. “We need those!” Sunkist looked up from ravaging the milk bones that came out and smiled.

“You can have some too, Dr. Freeman!” She said. Gordon deeply sighed. 

Footsteps silenced the team, Gordon taking up his arms, er, crowbar. He silently tip-toed to the entry of the break room, the footfalls getting closer and closer. He raised the crowbar over his head, and-

**TONK.**

“Owuh!” Benrey looked at the man who struck him, seeing the now-broken crowbar in his hands. “What was that for?” They frowned as the party stood and looked at him funny. 

“You showed us your true form, Benrey. Fucking knew you cheated, asshole!” Forzen said, grabbing them by the shoulder and rubbing forz fist into their helmet. Benrey laughed as did Forzen, making Gordon take a step or two back.

“H-how did you even get here! I thought you  _ died! _ ” Gordon snarled, throwing his broken crowbar at the wall, where it struck and buried itself into the thick concrete. Everyone paused.

“I told you, bro, ‘m not a human. Came back like a uh… gamer. Respawned, x99 lives left bro. Made me lose that perfect 100.”

“You- you’re driving me off the edge, all of you…” He said, hand on his forehead. “We need to get out of here.” 


End file.
